HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-01-04, Page 10Page IQ Times-Advocate, January 4, 1979 Played with flair and spirit
Veteran soccer enthusiast is retiring
KWILSON then, it hasn’t taken much of the Netherland’s through!954. BierlingBy JACK WILSON'
There were early objec
tions to his playing, yet Bill
Smits managed to play
soccer for 26 of his 54 years.
The last of them as a 1978
Exeter Centennial.
It was a sport he played
withdflair and spirit only age
could chip away. In his case,
however, the chipping took
longer than most. Even
-------------- --------------------
from the form or drive of
the man. A man who stuck
at a young man’s game long
after team-mates younger
than he had packed it in. But
now, voluntarily. Bill Smits
is doing what, as a fullback,
he so often did to opponents
of Exeter clubs for ten years
— shutting down the game.
Bill began soccer in
Groningen, most northerly
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Ellen Bean
344 Andrew St., S.
Exeter, Ontario 235-2140
provinces. He started as a
17-year-old for Klooster-
buren’s second, or B-team.
Later that season, 1941-42,
he went to the A-squad, and
had- to do it against his
father’s wishes.
Though he would later
change his mind and become
an avid fan, Bill’s farmer
father at first rejected the
game. A game that was a
challenge and pleasure for
Bill and an older brother,
Dick. Afterwards, brothers
Hank, John and Louis would
follow into soccer. Only the
oldest, Ben, declined.
“Dick and I had to sneak
our kit out of the house,”
Bill says. “Then my father
gave up trying to stop us. I
guess he figured we could do
worse. After that, he was all
for it.”
Another objector was
harder to convert. His name
was Adolf Hitler.
This maniac’s wartime oc
cupation of the Netherlands
finally forced Bill to hang up
his cleats after a 1942
season. A year in which he’d
become permanent centre-
forward for Kloosterburen’s
A-squad, and a northern
Holland all-star. Then, with
the fearful pressures of Nazi
oppression removed from
Europe, the games began
again.
In Kloosterburen, Bill
switched to right-wing from
centre for his club and, in
1945-46, it won the league
championship.
Unlike North America,
however, the European
soccer season is an autumn
and winter affair. For Bill,
it also meant competition in
a league of some ten teams
that played a 20-odd game
schedule, plus numerous
tournaments. Moreover, on
a continent long immersed
in the sport, the steps and
rivalry on the soccer ladder
were more difficult to
negotiate. Bill was able.
In 1946-47 he joined
Westlandia’s B-team in the
western part of Holland. Yet
from then on he was an A-
team player for part of 1947
Of those years* four were
spent with Westlandia. A
club that today would func
tion as a professional team
on the national level. With
them, he again knew the
delight of playing with a
league champion in 1948-49.
Then, in 1950, Bill moved
from right-wing to centre
again for De.Lier, a club
that proved itself another
winner.
De.Lien topped* their
league in 1951-52, with a
boost of 40 goals from Bill
Smits as the season’s
leading scorer. “That,” he
says with an earned grin,
“was one of my best years.”
Bill came out to Canada
and Exeter in 1954, but had
to wait for 1956 and 1957 for
further contacts with a
soccer ball. The events were
largely unsuccessful.
“We played on a field full
of stones behind the high
school," he says. “It was the
only place we could get, and
it was hopeless.” The club
folded. Bill didn’t.
Back in the Netherlands
between 1965 and 1970 he
clubbed with a Honselersdyk
side that fielded players
over the age of 35 for a type
of soccer fairly equal to a
third division standard in
London and district. Bill
captained this club for three
of five years.
Years during which he
switched to right-fullback in
a first exposure to a 4-2-4
system of front-player
arrangement. The essential
features of which are
credited to Hungarian
national teams that baffled
others with changes in the
conventional WM system
between 1951-56. Since then,
of course, versions have
been many.
Then, in 1970. Bill return
ed to Exeter, and a year
later began the final eight of
a ten-year link with Exeter
soccer clubs.
Early in this period he
also joined a committee of
local people, including Da
mien Solomon, Dave and
Vicky Zyluk, Mike Ball, Ray
and
group
present day
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235-0611 VISA
Bierling
Mit tleholtz, a
prompted the
Exeter Centennial soccer
club. An organization which
governs the senior Centen
nials, and a league and
house involvement in soccer
for some 200 youngsters in
Exeter and district.
During those years, 1971-
78, Bill was also active as a
fullback, coupled with a
one-game stint in goal, and
occasional coaching duties.
It was on defence, however,
that he gave Exeter his
better .years. Seasons in
which he pleased fans and
perturbed opponents with
skills and zeal generated in
Europe when he shared his
joy of the sport with youth.
But, youth and games end,
at whatever age.
Even so, there’ll be other
Smits around as soccer
players. Son Jack, 15, plays
with Exeter pee-wees, and
with Grand Bend’s bantam
all-stars. Robbie, eight, is
active in the loca) Centen
nial house league. Indeed,
the pull of the game extends
to Bill’s wife, Mary, a
regular attender at Exeter
matches.
Retirement as a player
doesn’t mean the end of
soccer for Bill, either.
Between his job at
Dashwood Industries he
plans time at coaching and
refereeing. He also plans a
return to the mode of travel
that got him to and from
games as a player in the
Netherlands. He intends get
ting another bicycle, with
two objects in mind.
“Pleasure, and staying in
shape,” he says.
A third benefit suggests
itself. For surely the bike
rides will rouse memories
of more than a quarter
century of involvement in
what Pele, one of the
world’s master players,
calls, “The beautiful
game.”
Bill Smits, after quitting
at the remarkable playing
age of 54, would seem to
deserve the benefit. A bonus
of pleasant memories of
flashing feet and voices, and
a soccer ball in flight over
fields forever green.
k k k
There are bigger things
than money — bills, for in
stance.
that
Bill Smits
To cut down
tailgating
In an effort to cut down
tailgating by commercial
vehicles, trucks travelling
over 60 kilometres an hour
on Ontario roads will be
forbidden tq follow any
vehicle closer than 60 metres
or approximately 200 feet.
And any drivers convicted
of a third, or more, drinking
and driving charge will lose
their licences for a minimum
of three years.
These new amendments to
The Highway Traffic Act
were included in Bill 150
which received third and
final reading last week, said
Minister of Transportation
and Communications James
Snow recently.
“For example, in response
to the Government’s major
campaign against drinking
and driving, we have set. a
mandatory three-year
driving licence suspension
for anyone convicted of a
third, or more drinking and
driving charge under the
Criminal Code of Canada.”
“And it is now a specific
offence to drive a motor
vehicle in contravention of
conditions contained in the
licence or imposed by the
regulations/’ Snow pointed
out, adding, “this affects a
person who is driving
without glasses when his
licence requires that he do
so.”
Snow went on to describe
an important clarification of
overtaking and passing at a
pedestrian crossover.
“The law now makes it
illegal for the driver of the
vehicle approaching from
the rear to move beyond the
front of the vehicle being
overtaken.**
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Young Canada Works is a federal government
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Your project should benefit the community
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Apply today. Application forms and guides are
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Application Deadline February 2,1979.
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CHARGEX
Bud Cullen, Minister
Price for
wheat is set
The Ontario Wheat
Producers’ Marketing Board
has announced the price for
Ontario wheat to processors
for the month of January
1979 has been set at $167.18
per tonne or $4.55 per bushel
f.o.b. country shipping point.
The price announcement
covers wheat purchased by
processors for domestic
human consumption pur
poses and as emphasized by
board chairman, Russell
Rogers, R.R. 1, Kingsville,
the newly announced price is
for the month of January
only,
Rogers said the announced
price is in keeping with the
recent federal government
decision to discontinue the
consumer subsidy payments
on domestic human con
sumption .wheat.
Under new government
policy which was’ effective
December 1st, 1978, a
minimum price of $146.97 per
tonne or $4.00 per bushel and
a maximum of $183.72 per
tonne or $5.00 per bushel has
been established as the price
spread to be paid by
processors for domestic
human consumption wheat
in Canada.
The board chairman siad
the price for the months
following January will be set
by the board in mid-January
for February and March,
and at mid-March for April
and May, and mid-May for
June, the last month of the
1978 crop year.
JOO
r
’S' .
i:I
.>
*1
J
&
1
Mr. and Mrs. Mel Herbert, RR. 3 Exeter and their son
"Little" Mel are shown with the swivel rocker they
won in the Christmas draw at Whiting's Warehouse.
Whiting's would like to thank the many people who
participated in the draw. You can win too if you
shop and save the warehouse way. See our full
page sale ad elsewhere in this edition. L'
WHITING'S
Warehouse Furniture and Appliances
Unlimited (New and Used) Sales A Service
• Antiques & Things
MAIN ST. . 235-1964 EXETER
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Knit & Woven
POLYESTER SLACKS
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Reg. to $36.95
Thanks For Shopping at McKnights
LenMcKnight & Son s Men's Wear
main st. Phone 235-2320 exeter£E
■uumK